Pips hints and answers for Saturday, October 17, 2026
Pips is the NYT domino logic game: place every domino from the tray so that each colored region obeys its rule - a number means the pips in that region add to it, an equals region means every half in it matches, and a not-equal region means no two halves match. Saturday's three boards were edited by Ian Livengood: an Easy board by Ian Livengood with 5 dominoes, a Medium board by Ian Livengood with 7 dominoes, and a Hard board by Rodolfo Kurchan with 14 dominoes. Each board gets its own hint ladder below, then its solved grid behind a tap.
Easy board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Ian Livengood · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 3 rows by 5 columns. The rules, region by region: row 1, column 2 carries no rule at all; the pair across row 1, columns 3-4 must all match; the pair standing in column 2, rows 2-3 must all match; the cells at row 2, column 4, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 4 must be less than 1; row 3, column 1 must beat 5; row 3, column 3 carries no rule at all.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the pair across row 1, columns 3-4 are all 2s; the pair standing in column 2, rows 2-3 are all 0s; the single cell at row 3, column 1 comes out as 6.
The solved board, region by region: row 1, column 2: 1; the pair across row 1, columns 3-4: all 2s; the pair standing in column 2, rows 2-3: all 0s; the cells at row 2, column 4, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 4: 0, 0, 0; row 3, column 1: 6; row 3, column 3: 5.
The Easy solution
The solved Easy board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 0-1 down column 2, rows 1-2 · 2-2 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 0-0 across row 2, columns 4-5 · 6-0 across row 3, columns 1-2 · 5-0 across row 3, columns 3-4
- All equal 2 = 2
- All equal 0 = 0
- Less than 1 0 + 0 + 0 = 0
- Greater than 5 6 = 6
- No rule 2 cells in blank regions, free to take any value
Medium board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Ian Livengood · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 4 rows by 4 columns. The rules, region by region: the pair standing in column 3, rows 1-2 must be less than 5; the pair standing in column 4, rows 1-2 must beat 8; row 2, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 2, column 2 must add to 2; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 must all match; the pair across row 3, columns 3-4 must add to 8; row 4, column 1 must be less than 4; the pair across row 4, columns 2-3 must all match; row 4, column 4 must add to 2.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 2, column 2 comes out as 2; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2 are all 5s; the single cell at row 4, column 1 comes out as 3; the pair across row 4, columns 2-3 are all 6s; the single cell at row 4, column 4 comes out as 2.
The solved board, region by region: the pair standing in column 3, rows 1-2: 4, 0; the pair standing in column 4, rows 1-2: 6, 3; row 2, column 1: 0; row 2, column 2: 2; the pair across row 3, columns 1-2: all 5s; the pair across row 3, columns 3-4: 5, 3; row 4, column 1: 3; the pair across row 4, columns 2-3: all 6s; row 4, column 4: 2.
The Medium solution
The solved Medium board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 4-6 across row 1, columns 3-4 · 5-0 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 2-0 across row 2, columns 2-3 · 3-3 down column 4, rows 2-3 · 5-5 across row 3, columns 2-3 · 3-6 across row 4, columns 1-2 · 6-2 across row 4, columns 3-4
- Less than 5 4 + 0 = 4
- Greater than 8 6 + 3 = 9
- Adds to 2 2
- All equal 5 = 5
- Adds to 8 5 + 3
- Less than 4 3 = 3
- All equal 6 = 6
- Adds to 2 2
- No rule 1 cell in blank regions, free to take any value
Hard board - hints
Hint 0 of 3By Rodolfo Kurchan · Tap to show one hint at a time.
This board runs 9 rows by 9 columns. The rules, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2 must add to 8; the pair across row 1, columns 2-3 must add to 4; the cells at row 1, column 5, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 5 must all differ; the pair across row 1, columns 6-7 must add to 2; row 2, column 3 must add to 5; row 3, column 1 carries no rule at all; row 3, column 3 must add to 3; row 3, column 6 must add to 0; row 4, column 1 must add to 5; row 4, column 3 must beat 1; the pair standing in column 5, rows 4-5 must add to 5; row 5, column 1 must add to 0; row 5, column 2 carries no rule at all; row 5, column 3 must add to 5; the cells at row 5, column 7, row 5, column 8 and row 5, column 9 must all match; the cells at row 6, column 7, row 7, column 7 and row 7, column 8 must add to 10; the pair standing in column 7, rows 8-9 must all match.
Work these first - they fall straight out of the rules: the single cell at row 2, column 3 comes out as 5; the single cell at row 3, column 3 comes out as 3; the single cell at row 3, column 6 comes out as 0; the single cell at row 4, column 1 comes out as 5; the single cell at row 4, column 3 comes out as 2.
The solved board, region by region: the pair standing in column 1, rows 1-2: 6, 2; the pair across row 1, columns 2-3: 1, 3; the cells at row 1, column 5, row 2, column 5 and row 3, column 5: 6, 2, 3; the pair across row 1, columns 6-7: 2, 0; row 2, column 3: 5; row 3, column 1: 2; row 3, column 3: 3; row 3, column 6: 0; row 4, column 1: 5; row 4, column 3: 2; the pair standing in column 5, rows 4-5: 1, 4; row 5, column 1: 0; row 5, column 2: 6; row 5, column 3: 5; the cells at row 5, column 7, row 5, column 8 and row 5, column 9: all 6s; the cells at row 6, column 7, row 7, column 7 and row 7, column 8: 3, 4, 3; the pair standing in column 7, rows 8-9: all 0s.
The Hard solution
The solved Hard board: every cell shows its pip count, then the placements and a check of every region rule.
Placements: 1-6 across row 1, columns 1-2 · 3-5 down column 3, rows 1-2 · 2-6 down column 5, rows 1-2 · 2-0 across row 1, columns 6-7 · 2-2 down column 1, rows 2-3 · 3-2 down column 3, rows 3-4 · 0-3 across row 3, columns 5-6 · 0-5 down column 1, rows 4-5 · 1-4 down column 5, rows 4-5 · 6-5 across row 5, columns 2-3 · 6-3 down column 7, rows 5-6 · 6-6 across row 5, columns 8-9 · 4-3 across row 7, columns 7-8 · 0-0 down column 7, rows 8-9
- Adds to 8 6 + 2
- Adds to 4 1 + 3
- All different 6, 2, 3
- Adds to 2 2 + 0
- Adds to 5 5
- Adds to 3 3
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 5 5
- Greater than 1 2 = 2
- Adds to 5 1 + 4
- Adds to 0 0
- Adds to 5 5
- All equal 6 = 6 = 6
- Adds to 10 3 + 4 + 3
- All equal 0 = 0
- No rule 2 cells in blank regions, free to take any value